Vehicle visual and non-visual data recording system

ABSTRACT

The system described in this invention can be used for monitoring and analyzing real time visual and non-visual information pertaining to the occupant, vehicle, and surroundings prior to, during and post eccentric operating conditions for a given period of time. The system stores vehicle and occupant data from sensors throughout the vehicle and also makes use of existing vehicle sensors that may already be present in the vehicle. The invention also includes a video recording module that makes use of a fish-eye camera to capture video from the inside and the outside of the vehicle. Real-time data analysis is performed to detect and to recognize vehicle occupants, and recognize impending eccentric events. Vehicle, occupant, and video data are stored in circular buffers. When an eccentric event, a collision for example, has been detected, the device continues to record data and video for a fixed period of time. Once this time has elapsed, the data is transferred from volatile to non-volatile memory for later retrieval. A computer may be used to retrieve and display the vehicle and occupant data in a synchronization with the video data for the purposes of accident recreation, driver or vehicle monitoring.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/352,385, filed on Jan. 27, 2003, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Ser. No. 60/351,968 filed Jan. 25, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Transportation systems and networks are vital in our society. Businessshipments, product deliveries, and commuters, are just a few examples ofthe thousands of uses of our transportation systems. It is well knownthat these systems are often delayed due to accidents, particularly onesthat rely on automotive routes. These delays cause traffic build-upsthat result in much wasted time and frustration.

On-scene investigations are time consuming and are not always accurate.Often, investigators must rely on witness statements and approximationsto assess the events leading up to the accident and to determine who isat fault. It is therefore difficult to guarantee the correctness ofthese assessments.

Insurance companies use these assessments to determine who must pay forthe damage after an accident has occurred. Incorrect assessments lead tothousands of dollars being spent unnecessarily by the insurancecompanies whose clients were not at fault.

Clearly, a system capable of recording, reproducing and analyzinginformation pertaining to an accident is very valuable. Traffic delaysdue to accident investigations could be decreased since lessinvestigation time would be required. Investigations would be much moreaccurate since the system will provide precise data prior to, during,and after the accident. Additionally, insurance companies will benefitdue to improved investigation assessments. Other devices have beenproposed as visual/non-visual vehicular data recorders, however, theyfall short in several areas.

Numerous vehicular data recording systems have been proposed whichcombine audio/video data, and vehicle performance data. Examples includeU.S. Pat. No. 6,389,340 to Rayner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,933 to Baque, USPatent 2002/135,679 to Scaman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,290 to Takeshi, andU.S. Pat. No. 4,843,463 to Michetti. Each of these systems are primarilydata logging systems, in which the data recording process is triggeredby a sudden vehicle acceleration or other accident-anticipation system.Some systems, such as the one proposed in US Patent 2002/105,438 toForbes et al., also make use of basic biometric signals to anticipate anaccident or incident that should be recorded. Upon triggering of therecording mechanism, some of these systems attempt to transfer the videoand vehicular data to a form of non-volatile memory. However, many ofthese systems, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,463 to Michetti and US Patent2002/135,679 to Scaman, are restricted to auxiliary memory devices suchas tapes and hard disks. Some systems, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,611to Mackey et al., automatically transfer the collected data to a remotecentral data system for distribution to authorized parties. Viewing ofthe recorded information requires the use of cumbersome externalhardware or physical extraction of the storage medium. In addition,these systems rely largely on analysis of the vehicle data by trainedpersonnel, and provide minimal interface capabilities for an automobileowner.

The previously discussed patent documents suggest systems that recordprimarily vehicle performance/status data, and video data. No occupantdata is explicitly recorded. Rather, extraction of meaningful occupantdata (e.g. number of occupants, occupant position, occupant size) canonly be gathered through expert, post-incident analysis of the videodata.

Most existing video recording systems require multiple conventionalcameras, often placed in intrusive locations within the vehiclecompartment. The patent documents discussed above makes no use of thevisual data to infer occupant position, to anticipate eccentricconditions, or to determine the nature of the vehicle's occupants.

Existing patents suggest systems with minimal in-vehicle interfaces.Interface to the recorded data is limited primarily to post-incidentanalysis by trained personnel using specialized hardware and software.Existing offline interface systems often require qualified personnel toanalyze the captured data in order to reconstruct the sequence of eventsprior to an accident or other incident.

Other systems currently in use are meant for the purpose of surveillanceand tracking certain vehicles. These systems are either mountable on afixed structure such as traffic signals or bridges or on a building nearan intersection. The portable systems are usually mounted on lawenforcement vehicles and are again used for the purpose of surveillanceand monitoring other vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The sensor system of the invention herein proposed is unique fromexisting video/vehicle data recording systems, both in terms offunctionality and possible applications. The set of sensors employed inthis device is unique as it incorporates traditional vehicle datasensors, novel occupant status sensors, video information, and biometricsensors in order to anticipate an impending eccentric condition, and tomaintain a complete record of the vehicle and occupant status prior toan event.

Traditional vehicle sensors such as speed, engine diagnostics, brakeposition, accelerator position, GPS co-ordinates, and traction controlsystem data are continuously recorded. Additionally, non-traditionaldata sensors are used that maintain a record of events such as occupantposition/height/weight, cellular phone use, and child seat presence.Biometric sensors (such as a heart beat monitor) are used to logindicators of the driver's awareness. Finally, video sensors are used tomaintain a visual record of in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle events, and tovisually recognize conditions that may lead to an eccentric condition,such as driver drowsiness/distraction, passengers being out of theirseat, or an impending exterior collision. The video sensor outlined inthis document can make use of a fish-eye lens system to capture a360-degrees image of the surrounding environment. This set of vehicleand occupant sensors, and the use of video data in both an active andpassive manner, is unique in comparison to existing visual/non-visualdata recording systems.

The invention outlined in this document describes a system with asophisticated in-vehicle interface for use by occupants and would-bebuyers, a computer interface for offline analysis by drivers, parents,and company supervisors, and a remote interface capable of signalingemergency response centers with pertinent location and occupantinformation in the case of an accident. The in-vehicle interface deviceallows occupants to recall vehicle performance statistics and tointerface with a GPS/Traffic Monitoring system. In addition tomonitoring standard vehicle performance statistics, the device can beset to sound an audio alarm when the vehicle is in excess of the legalspeed limit. The speed limit is determined by way of the GPS co-ordinatedata, or through a manual setting. A speech recognition system can beused to set the speed limit alarm options and parameters. Using the GPSdata, and the remote connection to traffic monitoring systems, theoccupants may also access advance visual and non-visual trafficinformation in order to better plan their route. The in-vehicleinterface device can also be used by potential vehicle purchasers toaccess vehicle usage information, such as the number of times the airbaghas deployed, or the number of times the vehicle has been in excess of130 km/h.

Many patents describe systems in which a computer monitor must betransferred to the vehicle and plugged into the system to view thecaptured data, or removal of the storage medium all together, should areview of the recorded information be required. This system provides aunique mechanism for in-vehicle viewing of recorded information.Additionally, the end-use functionality of the interface system isunique as no other patent describes a system that integrates a datarecording system with traffic monitoring, navigational aids, andin-vehicle review of usage statistics for potential buyers.

The computer interface allows offline analysis of vehicle routes andvehicle performance. This could be of enormous benefit to parents whowish to monitor their child's vehicle usage, or company supervisors whoare attempting to monitor employee use of company vehicles. Thisinvention can be used with multidimensional, virtual reality, accidentrecreation software that converts physical measurements of the vehicleand occupant into a media that is viewable and understandable by theaverage law enforcement officer and home user.

This interface system, which combines an in-vehicle interface, acomputer interface, and a remote interface, is unique in comparison tothe interface systems described in prior patent documents, both in termsof functionality and possible end-use applications.

Other benefits of a data recording system for vehicles include;assisting medical agencies in determining treatment for accident-relatedinjuries and acting as a deterrent to reckless driving. This isparticularly pertinent to young drivers borrowing their parent'svehicles. Beyond applications of offline monitoring and incidentinvestigation are a wealth of in-vehicle applications which utilizevehicle and occupant sensors. A sensory data recording system couldprovide information in real-time to alert drivers if they become drowsyor are driving in excess of the legal speed limit. The system can alsoact as a navigational aid when used in co-ordination with GPS data and aremote traffic monitoring system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by referenceto the following detailed description when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1. Shows the vehicle visual and non-visual data recording systemblock diagram.

FIG. 2. Shows the relationship between the eccentricity incident and therecording time.

FIG. 3. Depicts a possible in-vehicle mounted interface.

FIG. 4. Shows a fish-eye camera mounted in the vehicle headliner.

FIG. 5. Shows the circular buffer storage and volatile to non-volatiletransfer process flowchart used for both the video and data capture.

FIG. 6. Shows a sample screenshot of computer Software that can be usedwith the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an overview of the entire system. Referring to FIG. 1, theinvention is composed of an eccentricity detection unit (1), videocapture and data capture control units (2), an in-vehicle interface unit(6) with voice recognition (6 a) and a user-interface (6 b), and remotevehicle monitoring software. The data and video capture units (2) bothstore data before, during and after an eccentric state has beendetected. This system can be installed at the time of vehicle productionor as an after-market addition.

The system's eccentricity detection unit (1) uses sensors including thefish-eye camera (3) and non-visual occupant and vehicle data sensors(4), including biometric sensors, and impact sensors to detect anyup-normality with respect to predefined normal operating conditions. Aneccentric-state signal is sent to the control units (2) of the datacapture module and video capture unit when it has detected anup-normality. The control units of the data capture and video capturemodules then continue to record their respective data for a fixed periodof time. The data from each module is transferred from volatile memory(8) to non-volatile memory (9) once this time period has elapsed. FIG. 2shows the relationship between the eccentricity incident and therecording time.

Biometric sensors, such as a heartbeat monitor embedded in the steeringwheel, are of use in recognizing a state of stress or drowsiness in thedriver. An impending eccentric condition can also be detected throughanalysis of the video data. Driver distraction, rowdy in-vehiclepassenger behavior, or an impending exterior vehicle collision can berecognized from the video data as a state of instability. When animpending eccentric condition is detected the driver can be warned viaan audio alert message, or the data/video capture units may be alertedas to the up-normality condition. FIG. 3 shows a possible in-vehicleinterface (6) configuration.

The video capture module comprises a control unit (2), camera (3 a),video encoder (3 b), video processor (3 c), video analyzer (3 d) andvideo compressor (3 e) (combined), and storage (8)(9). The storage islarge enough to store several seconds of video and is composed of bothvolatile (8) and non-volatile memory (9).

The video capture module's camera (3 a) preferably makes use of a“fish-eye” lens that provides a 360-degree view. This 360-degree fisheye camera (3 a) may be mounted in the headliner (20) of the vehicle(30), as shown in FIG. 4. In this position, a view of the inside and theoutside of the vehicle (30) can be recorded. The video footage is passedto the video encoder (3 b) to digitally encode the data. The videoprocessor (3 c) is then responsible for undoing the distortion resultingfrom the fish-eye lens, normalizing temporally variant interiorillumination, and recovering usable imagery from night-time andlow-lighting conditions. This video data is then sent to the videoanalyzer (3 d) within the Eccentricity Detection Unit for analysis ofpotentially impending eccentric conditions, and to the video compressor(3 e). The video analyzer (3 d) is also responsible for updating some ofthe occupant status indicators. Visual information from the camera (3 a)can be used to infer the number of occupants, occupant ID, and occupantposition. The vision-based occupant measurements are then fused withother occupant sensors, such as weight sensors and position sensors, toupdate the occupant status indicators.

The video compressor (3 e) is required to reduce the amount of memorynecessary to store the video. The compressed video is then placed involatile memory (8) in a circular buffer. The circular buffercontinuously overwrites the oldest data with newer incoming data suchthat a fixed length of video is always stored. FIG. 5 describes thecircular buffer storage and transfer of volatile memory to non-volatilememory when an eccentric event has been detected.

The video capture module control unit's software (2) stamps the videodata so that when the data is retrieved, it will be possible to havesynchronized playback with the non-visual vehicle and occupant data(captured by the data capture module).

When the control unit is triggered with an eccentric event signalgenerated by the eccentricity detection unit (1), the video capturemodule continues recording for a fixed length of time. Once this timehas elapsed the stored video is copied from volatile (8) to non-volatilememory (9), for permanent storage.

The data capture module consists of a control unit (2), an interface tothe existing vehicle sensor system (4), an interface to additionaloccupant and vehicle sensors (4), volatile storage (8), and non-volatilestorage (9). Sensors (4) are placed throughout the vehicle to gathervehicle and occupant data. In some cases, the data capture module maymake use of the existing vehicle sensory system interface and simplyretrieve the data from the vehicle's existing sensors (4). This preventsredundant sensors from being installed in the vehicle unnecessarily.However, additional occupant sensors (e.g. weight and position sensors)and bio-metric sensors (e.g. heartbeat sensors) can be added to thevehicle for an increasingly complete record log of the vehicle'soccupants, and for use in anticipation of eccentric conditions. Similarto the video capture module, the non-visual data is stamped so thatsynchronized playback with the video is possible. As with the videodata, a data inference algorithm is applied to the captured data in anattempt to anticipate an impending eccentric condition. This can includestatistical analysis of occupant sensors, accelerometers, and biometricsignals.

The data capture module may gather (but is not limited to) the followingpieces of vehicle and occupant data (4): occupant position data,occupant height data, occupant weight data, accelerations, GPS locationof vehicle, absolute time, vehicle proximity, child seat presence,cellular phone in use, security system data, engine diagnostics, seatbelt in use, airbag data, driver drowsiness data, heart-beat sensors,vehicle speed, engine parameters, transmission status, status lights,tire pressure, brake position, accelerator position, air temperature,compass direction, vehicle make, model and VIN, vehicle life statistics,antilock brake system data, impact data and traction control systemdata. Known variations of each of these sensors are suitable for use inthe present invention.

When combined, this data provides a very accurate and complete view ofthe conditions prior to, during and post eccentric events.

The data capture module's storage system (8) (9) is the same as thevideo capture module and can be seen in FIG. 5. The data is stored in acircular buffer, replacing the oldest data with the newest, in volatilestorage (8). As with the video capture module, when the control unit (2)of the data capture module is triggered with an eccentric event signal,the system continues to record for a fixed period of time and once thistime has elapsed, the stored data is copied from volatile memory (8) tonon-volatile memory (9), for permanent storage.

In addition, the data capture module is capable of recording significantevents and statistics that have occurred pertaining to the vehicle overany given period of time. This is useful for vehicle owners who havelent their vehicle to others, or potential buyers of used vehicles. Thisdata may be retrieved for the last day, month, year or lifetime of thevehicle, and is accessible with the in-vehicle interface device orthrough the external computer interface software. The data capturemodule may gather but is not limited to the following vehicle events andstatistics:

Unsafe driving conditions: Maximum speed ever attained by the vehicle,number of times the speed of the vehicle went over 130 km/h, number oftimes the vehicle experienced hard “cornering,” number of times thevehicle experienced large accelerations of decelerations, number of timethe vehicle neared the point of rollover.

Care of the vehicle: number of impacts over a specified acceleration,number of hours or km the vehicle was run with low oil, number of hoursor km the vehicle was run with the engine overheated, number of hours orkm the vehicle was run post required oil change, number of hours or kmthe vehicle was run with check the engine light on, number of timesengine RPM exceed the vehicle's “red line.”

This data is stored directly in non-volatile storage (9) and is updatedimmediately after one of the events or statistics changes.

The occupant of the vehicle may choose to store events permanently forlater retrieval at any time by using the user-trigger (7). This triggersimulates the occurrence of an eccentric event, and therefore causes thecontrol units (2) of the data capture and video capture modules tocontinue recording for a fixed period of time, and then transfer thecontents of the volatile (8) memory to the non-volatile memory (9).

A possible in-vehicle interface (6 b) is depicted in FIG. 3. This devicecan be used to display certain information stored by the data capturemodule. In addition to acting as a mechanism for viewing vehicleperformance statistics, the in-vehicle interface can be used inco-ordination with the GPS system and a wireless remote connection inorder to act as a navigational aid. The in-vehicle interface can provideaudio and visual instructional guidance to a pre-defined destinationusing the GPS information. An option also exists for using the GPSinformation to give the user an audio alert when they have exceeded thelegal speed limit. A speech recognition module will also be incorporatedto act as an input mechanism for querying the interface device andsupplying speed limit information. As well, utilizing the GPSco-ordinate data, and remote systems which provide traffic monitoringinformation, users can query the device as to the traffic conditionsahead. This will allow the user to see live pictures of the trafficdensity at specified freeway locations, and to transmit an image of roadconditions around the vehicle to a specific location.

A computer interface (5) is provided so that recorded data can be viewedand analyzed on a computer. The data capture module's control unit (2)is responsible for transmitting the captured video and data from thenon-volatile storage (9) to the computer. Transfer of information fromthe vehicle to a personal computer can be accomplished through directconnection of a portable computer to the vehicle with data cables,wireless transmission from the vehicle to a central server, or savingthe information to a removable storage medium. The computer software canbe used to download and recreate the events stored by the invention andview the statistics of the vehicle's use. For accident recreationpurposes, a multi-dimensional virtual modeling system can be used torender a graphical rendition of the occupant and vehicle events thatoccurred prior to an accident. This creates a graphical illustration ofthe incident that is understandable to the average law enforcementofficer or vehicle owner. FIG. 6 shows a sample screenshot of therecreation software and several pieces of downloaded vehicleinformation. Additionally, a remote interface (5) is also provided, thiscan be used to signal emergency response centers in the case of anaccident. Occupant information can also be transmitted through thisinterface to assist medical teams prior to their departure. This remoteinterface also acts as a method of transmitting data from the vehicle tothe central server. Collecting vehicle data records at a central serverenables remote vehicle monitoring (real-time and offline). This alsoallows for users to view vehicle data via the internet when away fromtheir personal computer.

In all cases, the system can be programmed to restrict the viewable datafor certain users. Vehicle owners and potential vehicle buyers can berestricted to the vehicle history and performance, whereas insurancecompanies may be restricted to the vehicle's dynamics, orientation, andsurroundings prior to, during and post collision.

Optionally, along with video data, it is possible to capture audio data.This embodiment of the system works with the video capture module, andalso stores the audio data in a circular buffer. Additional volatile andnon-volatile storage (8)(9) is necessary to store the additional data.As with the video and data capture modules, the contents of the volatilestorage (8) is transferred to the non-volatile storage (9) when a fixedperiod of recording time has elapsed after an eccentric event hasoccurred. The software algorithms on the video module's control unit (2)perform this process.

Access to the captured video, vehicle, and occupant data can beaccomplished through several methods: removal of a physical storagemedium, direct download, and wireless transmit. Removal of a physicalstorage medium involves the download of the captured data to a temporarystorage device. This storage device can then be brought to a computerwhere the data is analyzed. Direct download consists of bringing aportable computer to the vehicle and attaching a transmit cable fordirect download from the vehicle's storage device to the computer harddrive. Wireless transmit consists of a wireless transmittal of thecaptured data to a central networked server, or to a nearby stand-alonecomputer.

1. An in-vehicle recording system comprising: a plurality of occupantsensors in the vehicle capturing occupant data; a video capture modulerecording video data inside and outside the vehicle. a data recorder inthe vehicle, the data recording the occupant data and the video data andsynchronizing the occupant data with the video data.
 2. The in-vehiclerecording system of claim 1, wherein the video data is recorded by thedata recorder.
 3. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 2, whereinthe video data is synchronized with the occupant data from the pluralityof occupant sensors.
 4. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 3,wherein a display displays video data recorded by the data recorder. 5.The in-vehicle recording system of claim 4, wherein the display displaysthe video data and the occupant data from the occupant sensors, andwherein the occupant data from the occupant sensors is synchronized withthe video data on the display.
 6. The in-vehicle recording system ofclaim 5, wherein the occupant sensors determine the number of occupantsin the vehicle and report the number of occupants in the vehicle to thedata recorder.
 7. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 5, whereinthe occupant sensors determine positions of occupants in the vehicle andreport the positions of the occupants in the vehicle to the datarecorder.
 8. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 5, wherein theoccupant sensors determine the size of the at least one occupant in thevehicle and report the size of the at least one occupant in the vehicleto the data recorder.
 9. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 5,wherein the occupant sensors gather biometric data regarding the atleast one occupant in the vehicle and report the biometric data to thedata recorder.
 10. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 9, whereinthe occupant sensors determine a drowsiness level of the at least oneoccupant in the vehicle and report the drowsiness level to the datarecorder.
 11. An in-vehicle recording system comprising: a data recorderin the vehicle; a plurality of occupant sensors in the vehicle capturingoccupant data and sending the occupant data to the data recorder; and adisplay in the vehicle for displaying the occupant data from the datarecorder after an accident.
 12. The in-vehicle recording system of claim1, wherein the occupant data and the video data are continuouslysynchronized by the data recorder.
 13. The in-vehicle recording systemof claim 1, wherein the video capture module comprises a wide-anglelens.
 14. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 13, wherein the lensis a fisheye lens.
 15. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 1,wherein the video capture module comprises a digital video camera. 16.The in-vehicle recording system of claim 15, further comprising a videoprocessor for processing the video data.
 17. The in-vehicle recordingsystem of claim 11, further comprising a video capture module recordingvideo data inside and outside the vehicle and sending the video data tothe data recorder.
 18. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 17,wherein the occupant data and the video data are continuouslysynchronized and displayed on the display.
 19. The in-vehicle recordingsystem of claim 18, wherein the video capture module comprises a digitalvideo camera and a video analyzer for detecting the presence ofoccupants in the video data.
 20. The in-vehicle recording system ofclaim 19, wherein the data recorder comprises a circular buffer forsending the video data to a non-volatile storage based upon a detectionof an eccentricity.
 21. The in-vehicle recording system of claim 20,wherein the occupant data comprises at least one of a total number ofoccupants in the vehicle, positions of the occupants in the vehicle,size of at least one of the occupants in the vehicle and biometrics ofat least one of the occupants.
 22. The in-vehicle recording system ofclaim 11, further comprising an eccentricity detection unit, the datarecorder recording data based upon an eccentricity indication from theeccentricity detection unit.
 23. The in-vehicle recording system ofclaim 11, wherein the occupant sensors determine a drowsiness level ofat least one occupant in the vehicle and report the drowsiness level tothe data recorder.
 24. An in-vehicle recording system, comprising: aplurality of sensors in the vehicle capturing biometric data; a videocapture module capturing video data inside and outside the vehicle; anda data recorder in the vehicle, the data recorder recording thebiometric data and the video data and synchronizing the biometric datawith the video data.